Presidential elections in the United States often baffle observers. Particularly confusing to outsiders are the events surrounding the run up to the elections including the caucuses and the primaries. To set the record straight, the US Embassy in Reykjavik, Iceland invited both media representatives and young political activists to the embassy to learn more about the American political system.
Representatives from the youth wings of all political parties in Iceland were invited to the background briefing on the US presidential election. Deputy Chief of Mission Neil Klopfenstein introduced the briefing by explaining the caucus process. The primaries were explained by Political Officer Brad Evans.
After the briefing, Klopfenstein granted each of the 24 guests ‘honorary US citizen status’ and invited them all to participate in a mock caucus. The mock Democratic caucus elected Hillary Clinton as their leader, while John McCain won the mock Republican caucus.